Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I would like to update the House on efforts to recover the victims of the crash in the Republic of the Congo of a charter plane hired by Sundance Resources. A recovery team, including French military personnel, commenced a retrieval operation yesterday, 22 June West Africa time. The site remains very difficult to access and recovery personnel currently rappel in from helicopters. This is a very difficult process in a very difficult environment. It is not yet clear when all of the bodies will be recovered from the plane and the crash site and transferred to Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo.

Once in Brazzaville, the process of identification will commence. This is likely to be a complex, painstaking and time-consuming process. It may well be necessary for remains to be removed to a third country in order to complete the disaster victim identification process.

Australia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and another DFAT officer are currently relocating to Brazzaville from Cameroon, where they will continue to provide support to officers from Sundance Resources and to work with the authorities of the Republic of the Congo on recovery and preparations for repatriation arrangements. Consulate officials continue to be in regular contact with Sundance Resources. Government agencies in Canberra are also examining what additional support may now need to be provided. Australian officials will continue to work closely with Sundance Resources and authorities from the Congo and Cameroon. They will continue to provide consular assistance to the families of the victims in the course of the recovery, identification and repatriation process.

As I indicated, we have to expect that this may well be a difficult, complex and painstaking process. We will keep the families informed and work closely with the company. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims at this time.

I take this opportunity to compliment the officers of Sundance Resources for the way in which they have, in very difficult circumstances, worked very effectively in the interests of the families of the victims. In particularly, I compliment the chief financial officer, Peter Canterbury, with whom I have spoken on a number of occasions, and George Jones, who has been engaged as a senior adviser. He is a former chairman of the company. I compliment them for the effective and dignified way in which they have handled matters for the company in the most difficult of all circumstances.

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